Dai Young issues brutal assessment in wake of Wasps' latest Ricoh collapse

Dai Young declared Wasps ‘out of aces’ as they folded to a 31-14 defeat to high rollers Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership.

Wasps were dealt a trio of early blows and never looked like bouncing back from the concession of three first-half tries, by Ben Spencer, Liam Williams and Will Skelton.

Young’s side are faced with overhauling a four-point deficit to reach the play-offs with two games left of the regular season, and in this form the director of rugby does not fancy his side’s chances.

He said: “We got what we deserved.

“We were miles off the pace in the first half and came second best in every area. We didn’t get past four phases so never really fired any shots ourselves.

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“The week off last week hasn’t done us any favours, we just looked out of aces which is hugely disappointing considering where we are.

“They’re a quality team. You don’t get to a European final without a good squad. We know when they turn their mind to it, they’re a formidable team.

“So we didn’t put much pressure on them. They’re very efficient in every way. Every one of their kicks is on the money whereas we kicked out on the full two or three times and we were loose as well.

“They were more efficient in every way and that’s why they’re in a European final next week and why if we’re honest we were second best in every area.”

Saracens’ success was all the more impressive given the late withdrawal of Mako Vunipola and Michael Rhodes due to injury.

Director of rugby Mark McCall pledged changes for the visit of Exeter next weekend and is keeping his fingers crossed Vunipola’s knock is not serious.

He said: “I think to back up last weekend emotionally and physically given the scale of the game and at the same place was always going to be a challenge.

“I think the team did well to put in the overall performance that we did, especially in the first half. It was a good performance given what we’d gone through the week before.

“It’s the first time we’ve played more or less the same team in consecutive games for seven matches, trying to fight on two fronts.

“We’ve come through this unscathed and we can wrap some players up in cotton wool with the final in mind.

“Mako [Vunipola] hurt his ankle a little bit in training, we’re hopeful it’s nothing too sinister.

“Michael Rhodes had a sore back this morning, with the final in mind we wrapped him up in cotton wool. It’s the same with Wiggy [Richard Wigglesworth]. Our team will be much-changed next week.”